Smoking Hot New Use for Internet of Things

Here’s an article on how the IoT applies to smart buildings, in this case, greenhouses for cannabis–yet another sign that “the times they are a’changing.”

Cannabis clearly has medical value, both in pain relief generally and in the treatment of certain conditions, e.g. glaucoma and a range of emotional disorders. In addition, there is plentiful evidence to the effect that CBDs, one of the hundred-or-so different yet related chemicals called cannabinoids, this one non-psychoactive and abundant in many strains, are effective in fighting cancer; prostate cancer victims everywhere are on daily doses of CBDs to help prevent recurrences and metastases.

Of course, far more cannabis is used recreationally than medicinally. It’s commonly argued that,  despite the lack of scientific evidence, that long-term use of pot has deleterious effects on the mind and should therefore be illegal.  This, of course, is hypocritical in the extreme.  Regardless of what science eventually shows us (it’s been under careful study for 60+ years), pot could not possibly be more debilitating on the mind (as well as auto safety, careers, relations, gun safety, domestic abuse, etc.) than alcohol.  When was the last time you heard of someone getting high and beating up his wife?

The real issue, of course, is that it’s very difficult for big business and government to make money from marijuana, as it’s grown so easily for personal consumption.

In any case, it’s always neat to see more good things happening in the use of information and communication technology to reduce energy consumption and improve efficiencies.